* NightmareFuel: Nearly everything that happens. People are nearly buried alive - at least, those who wake up in time to protest are - houses are filled with bodies and London at the end is left a ghost town.

An [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722. The book describes the experiences of a man living in London during the [[TheBlackDeath the Great Plague of London]] in 1665. It's not Defoe's journal (he was a small child at the time), although it might be based on [[BasedOnATrueStory his uncle's stories]]. There are also similarities between certain passages of the Journal and [[Literature/TheDiaryOf SamuelPepys Samuel Pepys' diary]] - suggested to be because Defoe was friends with someone who had worked for Pepys while he was writing the diary. It was published as [[FramingDevice "written by a Citizen"]] rather than Defoe, and framed as an anonymous autobiography rather than a work of fiction. To what extent people believed this narrative frame is debatable.

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An [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722. The book describes the experiences of a man living in London during the [[TheBlackDeath the Great Plague of London]] in 1665. It's not Defoe's journal (he was a small child at the time), although it might be based on [[BasedOnATrueStory his uncle's stories]]. There are also similarities between certain passages of the Journal and [[Literature/TheDiaryOf SamuelPepys Samuel Pepys' diary]] diary - suggested to be because Defoe was friends with someone who had worked for Pepys while he was writing the diary. It was published as [[FramingDevice "written by a Citizen"]] rather than Defoe, and framed as an anonymous autobiography rather than a work of fiction. To what extent people believed this narrative frame is debatable.

* NightmareFuel: Nearly everything that happens. People are nearly buried alive - at least, those who wake up in time to protest - houses are filled with bodies and London at the end is left a ghost town.

to:

* NightmareFuel: Nearly everything that happens. People are nearly buried alive - at least, those who wake up in time to protest are - houses are filled with bodies and London at the end is left a ghost town.

* PhonyPsychic: Apparently a lot of these sprang up to prey on the fears of the population, much to the author's contempt* ScienceMarchesOn: Pretty much everything related to medicine and disease in the book has been subsequently disproven * SnakeOilSalesman: Similar to the PhonyPsychic above, many selling supposedly guaranteed cures and preventatives for the plague. Although, arguably the only difference between them and the ''actual'' medical professionals of the time is that these guys ''knew'' that their products didn't work

to:

* PhonyPsychic: Apparently a lot of these sprang up to prey on the fears of the population, much to the author's contemptcontempt. They all notably fail to predict the Great Fire of London, which Defoe (writing in the 1720s) knew was coming.* ScienceMarchesOn: Pretty much everything related to medicine and disease in the book has been subsequently disproven disproved.* SnakeOilSalesman: Similar to the PhonyPsychic above, many selling supposedly guaranteed cures and preventatives for the plague. Although, arguably the only difference between them and the ''actual'' medical professionals of the time is that these guys ''knew'' that their products didn't workwork.

An [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722. The book describes the experiences of a man staying in London during the [[TheBlackDeath the Great Plague of London]] in 1665. It's not Defoe's journal (he was a small child at the time), although it might be based on his uncle's.

The narrator describes in vivid detail the sufferings of the people of London during the epidemic, ranging from simply recounting the bills of deaths with ominously rising numbers of fatalities from week to week, to several in depth vignettes about how certain groups or individuals weathered the plague - [[TheDeadHaveNames or otherwise]]. He also includes a more general analysis of the effects of the plague on various institutions such as the Church, trade and the government of the city. There are also a few musings about human nature, piety and some *ahem* [[HarsherInHindsight slightly uncomfortable]] speculation about [[ScienceMarchesOn the nature of the plague itself]]

to:

-> '''A casement violently opened just above my head, and a Woman gave three frightful screeches, then cried "Oh! Death, death, death!'''

An [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722. The book describes the experiences of a man staying living in London during the [[TheBlackDeath the Great Plague of London]] in 1665. It's not Defoe's journal (he was a small child at the time), although it might be based on [[BasedOnATrueStory his uncle's.

uncle's stories]]. There are also similarities between certain passages of the Journal and [[Literature/TheDiaryOf SamuelPepys Samuel Pepys' diary]] - suggested to be because Defoe was friends with someone who had worked for Pepys while he was writing the diary. It was published as [[FramingDevice "written by a Citizen"]] rather than Defoe, and framed as an anonymous autobiography rather than a work of fiction. To what extent people believed this narrative frame is debatable.

The narrator describes in vivid detail the sufferings of the people of London during the epidemic, ranging from simply recounting the bills of deaths with ominously rising numbers of fatalities from week to week, to several in depth vignettes about how certain groups or individuals weathered the plague - [[TheDeadHaveNames or otherwise]]. He also includes a more general analysis of the effects of the plague on various institutions such as the Church, trade and the government of the city. city, [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart which by the time]] Defoe was writing had all radically changed. There are also a few musings about human nature, piety and some *ahem* [[HarsherInHindsight slightly uncomfortable]] speculation about [[ScienceMarchesOn the nature of the plague itself]]itself.]]

* BasedOnATrueStory: It's debateble to what extent, which parts (if any) are entirely fictional and which parts (if any) are entirely accurate

to:

* BasedOnATrueStory: It's debateble debatable to what extent, which parts (if any) are entirely fictional and which parts (if any) are entirely accurateaccurate.* BlackComedy: Verging on the satiric.--> '''The Inns of Court were all shut up ... every body was at peace.'''

* DepopulationBomb: The plague outbreak killed around 100,000 people, which still pales in comparison to the overall death toll from the Black Death* TheEndIsNigh: Quite a lot of Doomsayers crop up once the plague is in full swing, although subverted somewhat, Defoe dismisses them on the grounds that they all prophesy a relapse of plague more virulent than ever before and failed to foretell the Fire Of London that wrecked the city only a year after the plague.* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The author vacillates a bit as to whether he thinks that that plague is natural or divine* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Fearing that they might carry the plague, the city authorities order the destruction of all ''cats and dogs'', the two best animals for tackling the rats whose fleas were really responsible

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* BritainIsOnlyLondon: Set in London and the narrator refuses to leave the city, enforcing this trope.* CrapsackWorld* DepopulationBomb: The plague outbreak killed around 100,000 people, which still pales in comparison to the overall death toll from the Black DeathDeath.* DoomedHometown: Because the novel was written in the 1720s, this is the case for London. Defoe knew that after the apocalyptic plague would come the Great Fire of London, destroying much of the medieval city's architecture forever. The London he writes about technically no longer exists.* DyingTown: The population of London is dramatically reduced thanks to the plague, leading to this effect.* TheEndIsNigh: Quite a lot of Doomsayers crop up once the plague is in full swing, although subverted somewhat, Defoe dismisses them on the grounds that they all prophesy a relapse of plague more virulent than ever before and failed to foretell the Great Fire Of London that wrecked the city only a year after the plague.* FairForItsDay: Obviously the plague wasn't the fault of foreigners or Catholics, but for Defoe's narrator that seemed like the logical assumption.* GhostTown: Thanks to the plague.* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The author vacillates a bit as to whether he thinks that that plague is natural or divinedivine.* NightmareFuel: Nearly everything that happens. People are nearly buried alive - at least, those who wake up in time to protest - houses are filled with bodies and London at the end is left a ghost town.* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Fearing that they might carry the plague, the city authorities order the destruction of all ''cats and dogs'', the two best animals for tackling the rats whose fleas were really responsibleresponsible.* OlderThanTheyThink: Modern critics have noticed a distinct similarity between the treatment of plague victims and the 1990s public fear of AIDS.

* TheEndIsNigh: Quite a lot of Doomsayers crop up once the plague is in full swing, although subverted somewhat, Defoe dismisses them on the grounds that they all prophecise a relapse of plague more virulent than ever before and failed to fortell the Fire Of London that wrecked the city only a year after the plague.

to:

* TheEndIsNigh: Quite a lot of Doomsayers crop up once the plague is in full swing, although subverted somewhat, Defoe dismisses them on the grounds that they all prophecise prophesy a relapse of plague more virulent than ever before and failed to fortell foretell the Fire Of London that wrecked the city only a year after the plague.

* SnakeOilSalesman: Many selling supposedly guaranteed cures and preventatives for the plague, naturally the authro has a dim view of such folk. Although, arguably the only difference between them and the ''actual'' medical professionals of the time is that these guys ''knew'' that their products didn't work

to:

* SnakeOilSalesman: Many Similar to the PhonyPsychic above, many selling supposedly guaranteed cures and preventatives for the plague, naturally the authro has a dim view of such folk.plague. Although, arguably the only difference between them and the ''actual'' medical professionals of the time is that these guys ''knew'' that their products didn't work

* SnakeOilSalesman: Many selling supposedly guaranteed cures and preventatives for the plague, naturally the authro has a dim view of such folk. Although, arguably the only difference between them and the ''actual'' medical professionals of the time is that these guys ''knew'' that their products didn't work

* HarsherInHindsight: The modern audience [[ScienceMarchesOn knows]] that essentially everything that the characters in the book pin their hopes on to protect them from the disease is entirely in vain, often with fatal consequences

* HarsherInHindsight: The modern audience [[ScienceMarchesOn knows]] that essentially everything that the characters in the book pin their hopes on to protect them from the disease is entirely in vain, often with fatal consequences

Added DiffLines:

* ScienceMarchesOn: Pretty much everything related to medicine and disease in the book has been subsequently disproven

An [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722. The book describes the experiences of a man staying in London during the [[TheBlackDeath the Great Plague of London]] in 1665. It's not Defoe's journal (he was a small child at the time), although it might be based on his uncle's.

The narrator describes in vivid detail the sufferings of the people of London during the epidemic, ranging from simply recounting the bills of deaths with ominously rising numbers of fatalities from week to week, to several in depth vignettes about how certain groups or individuals weathered the plague - [[TheDeadHaveNames or otherwise]]. He also includes a more general analysis of the effects of the plague on various institutions such as the Church, trade and the government of the city. There are also a few musings about human nature, piety and some *ahem* [[HarsherInHindsight slightly uncomfortable]] speculation about [[ScienceMarchesOn the nature of the plague itself]]----!!''A Journal of the Plague Year'' contains the following tropes:* ApocalypticLog* BasedOnATrueStory: It's debateble to what extent, which parts (if any) are entirely fictional and which parts (if any) are entirely accurate* TheBlackDeath: Obviously* DepopulationBomb: The plague outbreak killed around 100,000 people, which still pales in comparison to the overall death toll from the Black Death* TheEndIsNigh: Quite a lot of Doomsayers crop up once the plague is in full swing, although subverted somewhat, Defoe dismisses them on the grounds that they all prophecise a relapse of plague more virulent than ever before and failed to fortell the Fire Of London that wrecked the city only a year after the plague.* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The author vacillates a bit as to whether he thinks that that plague is natural or divine* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Fearing that they might carry the plague, the city authorities order the destruction of all ''cats and dogs'', the two best animals for tackling the rats whose fleas were really responsible----

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